SOLUTION: The width of a rectangle is 5 meters less than twice its length. If its area is 88 square meters, find the dimensions of the rectangle. I appreciate your help!

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Question 249084: The width of a rectangle is 5 meters less than twice its length. If its area is 88 square meters, find the dimensions of the rectangle.
I appreciate your help!
Answer by oberobic(2304) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
W+=+2L+-+5
A+=+L+%2A+W+=+88
.
Substitute
A+=+L+%2A+%282L-5%29
88+=+2L%5E2+-+5L
.
Subtract 88 from both sides
0+=+2L%5E2+-5L+-88
so
2L%5E2+-5L+-+88+=+0
.
Can you factor this? Yes.
.
%282L+%2B11%29%28L+-+8%29+=+0
.
So our candidate solutions are L = -5.5 and L = 8.
.
A negative number for the side of the rectangle is nonsense. So our answer is L = 8.
.
Recall
W+=+2L+-+5
so
W+=+2%2A8+-+5+=+16+-+5+=+11
.
With L = 8 and W = 11, the area = 88.
So we're done.